Creative players have expressed relief following the reconstitution of the Copyright Fund Committee by the government.
The mandate of the previous committee expired in August last year, a development which led to the temporary suspension of grant disbursement, especially for the 5th Call, which are yet to be disbursed.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, Musicians Union of Malawi president Vita Chirwa said although it took some time to have the committee reconstituted, they are glad to see it reinstated.
“As musicians, we are glad to have it reinstated so that the functions of the fund can resume. This means we can now resume submitting our proposals aimed at improving our industry,” he said.
On his part, Malawi Union of Academic and Non-Fiction Authors president Richard Muphuwa said the non-disbursement of funds was a bad situation since there is no other fund available for artists to take advantage of and improve their trade and arts in Malawi.
He said: “The fund is very critical for artists who have projects to implement and had already submitted their proposals for financing.”
The new committee is chaired by Robert Kapyepye with Shadreck Chikoti, Zilanie Gondwe, Serman Chavula and Qipase Maulidi as members.
Copyright Society of Malawi spokesperson Catherine Mitungwi said they have welcomed the appointment of the new committee.
“The decision-making processes regarding the operationalisation of the fund experienced delays, particularly in the evaluation and selection of applications, among other aspects,” she said.
A member of the new committee, Chikoti, said the reconstitution is a significant development for art associations in Malawi.
He said: “The development is overwhelmingly positive. The establishment of this fund committee will help address strategic issues faced by the creative industries, including production, promotion and marketing of artistic and cultural products and services.”
